M16 A2 Straps / Self Made

[mkoloc]

Took a break from yard work to finish up my straps and installing same.  I have two installations left in the drivers compartment.  1 set of straps on the center jump seat, and a set of straps for the collapsible canvas bucket behind the drivers seat.  The footmen loops ( the brackets for the straps) for the bucket straps were welded very crudely onto the partition instead of being screwed in .. so I knocked them off with a cold chisel, cleaned off the weld crap and now have to drill out the old screws and retap the holes so I can reinstall the loops.  It's this little stuff that takes up so much time ... fixing the other guys crappy work!

The other straps went into the gun compartment for the ammo cans, cannoner jump seats, the sight box, and first aid kit.  As you'll note, the tombstone straps are set up to store an extra tombstone can or perhaps an ammo crate next to the long forward  can even though there is no floor plate bracket.  My original and badly worn strap remnants had this extra storage strap set up.  You can see some remnants in one of the pics.   My used donated industrial JUKI 8500 sewing machine came in quite handy and all straps are also riveted like my originals for extra strength.  Lot of sewing videos on YouTube..

[mfrance]

Great looking halftrack
Question is why did someone put folding center seats on the fuel tank guards in the rear compartment?

[mkoloc]

That is for the cannoner's to sit on ...  they did not sit on the floor in the A2

[mkoloc]

I have seen several M16's with the same setup here in the states and overseas